Mission Spotlight

I remember when I was little, once a month between Sabbath school and church, our church would watch a video update called “mission spotlight.” These video's focused on mission projects that were happening in all parts of the world. People of all ages liked these updates, and it gave the church a global perspective and sense of mission that was very unifying. I don't know if the church still has they updates, but I thought in like manner it would be fitting to give an update on this mission project I am a part of now.

The latest on the Kamantian mission is the new clinic is nearly complete. The transition from the old to the new is going to occur as soon as this coming Monday. The old clinic has served as hospital, pharmacy, and operating room since the early 90's. The best way to describe it is a rundown shack...the new clinic was very much a necessity. Updates include sinks, a flushing toilet, hardwood floor, greatly increased storage space, and the whole building has been mosquito proofed. It has concrete pillars to discourage the termites, but even that sometimes isn't enough. The termites here are tenacious and have even penetrated some concrete structures.

As for our home, it is termite free at the moment, we have coated each wooden pillar with oil, which seems to keep them from infiltrating the home. However other animals continue to em-barge upon our bamboo hut. This last week it was a mother hen. She was convinced that our home was the place she had to lay her eggs. She come through the window, the door, and tried jumping through cracks in the floor. I chased her and swatted her with a broom, and she would try to attack back until I eventually got her outside. This scenario was repeated several times until we were finally able to close of all entrances.

Also one night while we we cooking we heard a rustling sound on the roof and then a couple seconds later a swarm of ants fell from the ceiling and covered our kitchen. It made Danelle thing of the Egyptian plagues of biblical times. But after some heavy duty cleaning and poisoning they disappeared.

I don't mention these things to complain, we are enjoying our time here, but I think that is because we understand that a mission is not a trip. Life, essentially is made up of a series of experiences, being a missionary simply puts purpose behind these experiences.

“We have nothing to fear for the future except as we shall forget the way the Lord has led us, and the teaching of our past history” (Selected Messages 162). A repeated theme throughout the old and new testament, is the theme of remembrance. However it was a lesson that was all to often forgotten. It is important to remember what being a Christian is really about or else we are in danger of taking the name in vain, and in essence break the third commandment. The church must remember its mission or else it will become nothing more than a glorified club, that meets once a week, and occasionally does some good deeds.

If we forget the past we are doomed to repeat it. Either God's Word is true, or it is not. The church's mission is to spread the everlasting gospel of Revelation 14. The hour of judgment is coming, the question is are we going to be like Noah and get on the boat...or not. The world has a saying that there is safety in numbers, but the truth is the only real protection comes through knowing the word of God and following it. When the world was destroyed in a flood only 8 people were on the ark. When Sodom and Gomorrah was burned with fire, only Lot and his two daughters escaped. But God is a God of rescue and He says, “ As surely as I live...I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their evil ways and live. Turn! Turn from your evil ways! Why will you die, O house of Israel?”(Eze 33:11). Laodicea is the last church talked about in Revelation, the time period we are in is the Laodician one. Laodicea means, “a people judged” God's Judgment is a good thing, it means an end of sin. All we have to do is become acquainted with the judge who is, “faithful and just to forgive us our sins and cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 Jn 1:9). Our mission is a simple one, proclaim the gospel, and if necessary use words. In closing, as the old mission video's use to say, “this has been mission spotlight.”